53-510 DIGITAL: Introduction to English Linguistics

Instructors: Prof. Dr. Robert Fuchs

Event type: Seminar Ia

Displayed in timetable as:

Hours per week: 2

Language of instruction: German/English

Min. | Max. participants: - | 30

Registration group: Einführung Linguistik

More information:

Language is arguably the most fascinating characteristic of humankind,
since it is our essential means to relate to each other as social
beings. As such, it is an expression of how we perceive, construct, and
interact with our environment, and its use comprises a range of
cognitive processes, from spontaneous, almost unconscious choice of
words to planned and well-reflected discourse. In this introductory
class, we will take the example of the English language as one of the
most extensively researched languages of the world to describe the
nature of language in its structure, conceptual quality, and
socio-communicative function. In detail, the class will commence with
the basic design features of human language and the history of English.
We will investigate the sound system of English, basic meaningful units
of meaning, take a look at how morphemes, words and phrases are
combined, and discuss general theories trying to account for the meaning
of words and utterances. Beyond these core concerns of (English)
linguistics, we will introduce communicative and functional principles
of language and survey key concepts of sociolinguistics. The class will
be held as an interactive lecture, leaving space for discussions and
in-class tasks. Materials will be distributed throughout the semester
and a list of relevant literature will be handed out at the beginning of
the class. Students will need to read an assigned chapter from a
textbook in preparation for most of the sessions.

Participation in one of the two tutorials is obligatory. They take place
on Wednesdays 10 am - 12 pm and Thursdays 4 pm - 6 pm. Students who are
not available during at least one of these times cannot take this course.